We hear that Salomon is considering the launch of a line of boots, clothing and equipment for ski mountaineering as part of a new R&D plan for the 2012-17 period which is going to be finalized later this month. The project makes sense because of Salomon's strong expertise in skis and the rapid development of ski mountaineering. The company has been extremely successful in the trail running segment, which is estimated to be growing at 35 percent a year. It regards itself as a pioneer and the leader in this category, with annual sales of more than five million pairs.